Which of Today's Cars Will Become Classics?
We are all conditioned to look back to the bygone ages of car production and say of one of them “that was the Golden Age”, “they don’t make them like that anymore” or any one of a number of hoary old cliches which, nevertheless, often ring true to some degree or other. For certain, they do not make cars today like they used to make them. That is simply innovation for you. To make cars like they used to make them would mean a lot of unnecessary expense if it was to involve mass production, so what we have today is exactly what is needed if the car industry is to survive.
Indeed, the recent bailouts of car industries on both sides of the Atlantic have made one thing clearer than ever. The life of a car manufacturer can be quite fleeting if they concentrate more on the car’s lines than the bottom line. Car manufacturers will go bust if things continue the way they have been going. Although there is nothing at all desirable about people losing their jobs, this does have a side benefit, if you look at it in a slightly twisted manner. That is to say that a car which looks excellent today and is made by a company experiencing financial trouble might just be among the last of its kind to be produced – and qualify in later years for the title of “lost classic”.
However, you will be pleased to hear that no company needs to go bust for a car to become a classic. There are many other elements which might make a car qualify for that title. For instance, a car that is released in limited edition – as long as that truly is a limited edition and not “one of only 500,000” – if kept correctly could become like the 1968 Chevy Impala of the future. Such are the vagaries of classic automobiles that it is difficult to predict today what will qualify as classic tomorrow. Featuring in a TV show, a film or even a music video which gains cult status over the next 10 years (and future cult status by its very nature is unpredictable) could catapult a vehicle that we do not give much thought today into the stratosphere of desirable vehicles tomorrow.
Experts in the present day point to certain cars as being perfect examples of what makes a classic car, and have earmarked them for future classic status. Among these potential future classics, it should surprise nobody to see a mention for Alfa Romeo. The Italian demigods of automobile production premiered a vehicle in the Geneva Motor Show of 1990 – the SZ, which was dubbed “the Monster”. Although stylish as only an Alfa can be, the sales figures were poor and Fiat needed to cut costs, so production ceased at the 1,000 mark. An instant collectible, the SZ is now a particularly rare conversation piece, and more than worth whatever you are willing to spend on it. Keep an eye out for them, because if any car is likely to become a classic, an Alfa is near the top of the list.
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